Device for removing extraneous matter from well shafts



Dec. 9, 1952 o. JAcoBsoN 2,621,067

DEVICE FOR REMOVING EXTRANEOUS MATTER FROM WELL SHAFTS Filed sept. 1, 1949 Patented Dec. 9, 1952 oFF-ics- DEVICE FOR REMOVING EXTRANEGUS.

MATTER FROM WELIJ SHAFTS" Gle J acol'ison,l Cumberland; ,Wis. Application September 1, 194:9,"y Serial'No. 113,596

My' invention relates'toa fishing tool for use in recovering of lostpump or drill rods, pipes or other objects from cased wells.

Theprimary object of the invention is the provision of a fishing tool havingv a plurality of elongated relatively flat hook-equipped fingers which maybe used successfully to extract well cylinders from Well casings.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device, as set forth, which Vmay be easily a'djusted'to well casings of various sizes.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of flexible resilient barb elements which may be'secured to said resilient fingers for removing foreign matter, such as stones and the like, fromwell casings.

A1 still further object of my invention is the provision of a device, as set forth, which is simpleand inexpensive to manufacture, which is rugged in'construction and which is efficient and durable in use.

The aboveand still Vfurther highly important objects--andadvantages of my invention will becomeapparent from the following specification, appended claim and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters indicate like parts throughoutthe several views:

Fig. 1 isa fragmentary view in side-elevation of my improved fishing tool;

Fig; 2- is a fragmentary vertical section of awell casing illustrating the-use of my novel'shing tool in removing a well cylinder therefrom;

' vFig: 3E is a fragmentary vertical section of a well-casing showing an attachment for my novel fishingv tool andthe usethereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through the-well'- cas-ing showing myy novel fishing tool with resilient` flexible barb-elements attached to thelower ends of the resilient fingers of my device; and

Fig. is a view in perspective of one of the flexible resilient barbs of Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral I indicates a cylindrical well casing having contained therein a well pump cylinder 2 having upper and lower end caps 3 and 4, respectively. A water intake element 5 is secured to the lower end of cap 4 by means of conventional piping 5 and pipe coupling 1. The usual well pipe 8 extends upwardly from the upper end cap 3 and a pump or sucker rod 9 is shown as extending upwardly therethrough.

My novel fishing tool comprises a tubular ele- 2l ment I 0- screw-threaded'` at' its` lower end to receive an internally screw-threaded collar'A III?. The" tubularfmember I Ii preferably is'nmadeV upfof. a' plurality of pipesectionsconneeted by conven` tional; pipe couplings, not shown'. in the-same manner as awellicasing` or awellpipe. Thisarrangement permits the use of a'l-tubular.A member loofl theproper length-for the particularjob;1

A- plurality of circumferentially spaced. grip'- ping ngers I2 have theirA` upper.A endszsecured to the-collar II andi extend generallyniatdirection axially thereof. The upper end portionsofL the fingers I2`maybe secured to: the collar-LII by any suitablemeans, but are .preferably welded orbrazed'thereto. Thelfingers I2 are=relatively fiat and are preferably made.of:steel,.asubstan: tial'portion thereof'just'-below thecollar I I: being in an annealed statesoasto bef ductile.. Prefeerably, the ductileportion extends aboutlonequarter or one-third of the length of .thelingersV Theremaining lower portionrof eaohiof the finigers I-2fis tempered toimparthardness.: and re.- siliency thereto. Atv their-lower. ends; theiingers I 2 fiare downwardly and outwardly. and are: preferably-formed'with converging side edges topro.- videpointsl I3.v By referenceto Figs; landZ', it. will be seen that each ofithefingers. IZ-f'isdormed to provide an upwardly openingfhooleielen'rent-A I4:` in spaced relation tothe point I3.4 thereof.. The hook'el'ements I4 are located ongthe; radially innerl surfacesy of the-fingers I2 and'. are.; preferably. at the same horizontal. level...

WhenV itis desired'. to remove azbroken.; or damagedLpi'ece of equipmentsucnas a wellcylinder. 2f from'the well, myfimprovedfishing toolis insorted-'into thewell casing-I and moved downwardly beyond either the upper end cap orthe lowerend cap 4thereof, the well'pipe 8er pump" rod 9.1 being containediwithin the tubular member. Ill..- It-4 will be noted that thev lower flaringl endsy I3I engage the inner wall of the casing I,V The resilience of the relatively flat fingers I2 permits sufhcient bending thereof to allow the hook elements I4 to pass between the inner wall of the casing `l and in laterally projected portions of the end caps 3 and 4, which lessen the clearance therebetween and the wall of the casing I. When the hook elements I4 have passed any such projections, such as, for instance, the iiange 4' of the lower end cap 4, the resilience of the fingers I2 will cause the hook elements I4 to move radially inwardly to points underlying the flange 4. Subsequent raising of the tubular member I0 will cause the hook elements I4 to engage the liange 4 so that the well cylinder 2 and parts connected thereto will be raised from the well casing I.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the ductility of the upper end portions of the fingers I2 permits of adjustment thereof in directions radially of the axis of the tubular member IIJ, as shown by dotted lines. Thus my novel fishing tool may be readily adjusted to accommodate well casings of various diameters. The hook elements I4 are adapted to engage any radially outwardly projecting portion of the well pumping or drilling equipment such as threaded portions of a well or drill pipe or couplings thereon. In the event of screw-threads on the upper end of a well pipe 8 becoming damaged, I provide an attachment for repairing the damaged threads without removing the pipe 8 from the casing I, see particularly Fig. 3. This attachment comprises a collar IB adapted to be screw-threaded onto the lower end of the tubular member I and having screw-thread-cutting means, such as a self-contained die I'I, intermediate its upper and lower ends. The collar I6 is provided with a downwardly and outwardly flaring inner wall I8 which, under downward movement of the collar I6 with respect to the well pipe 8, exerts a camming action upon the upper end of the pipe section 8 to center the pipe section in the thread-cutting means 1. Rotation of the tubular member I0 and the collar I6 will then cause the thread-cutting means I'I to work on the damaged threads of the pipe 3 and recut the same.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a second attachment for my novel fishing tool and the use thereof in extricating foreign matter, such as stones and the like, from a well casing. It will be seen, by reference to Figs. 1 and 2, that the lower end portions of the arms I2 are provided with apertures I9. I provide a plurality of flexible resilient barb elements 20, one each adapted to be secured to the lower end portion of one of the fingers I2. It will be observed that each barb 29 is provided with a pair of apertures '2| alignable with the apertures I9 in the fingers I2. The barbs are rigidly secured to the pointed end portions I3 of each of the fingers I2 by means of nut-equipped bolts or the like 22 passing through the aligned apertures I9 and 2|.

The barbs are mounted so as to project upwardly and radially inwardly with respect to the fingers I2, see Fig. 4. When it is desired to utilize these attachments for removing stones (indicated by the letter fc) or like foreign matter from a well casing, it is but necessary to drop the fishing tool thus equipped into the well casing and force the barb-equipped points I3 downwardly below the level of the stone The resilient barbs will be moved radially outwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, permitting passage of the lower ends of the fingers below the uppermost of the stones When the barbs 20 have passed 4 below a substantial number of stones m, the fishing tool is then drawn upwardly. The resilient nature of the barbs 20 causes them to be moved to their full line position of Fig. 4, thus trapping a substantial number of stones 1: thereabove between the fingers I2.

My improved fishing tool has been thoroughly tested commercially and has met with considerable success in extricating various objects from well casings in instances where other fishing tools and equipment have failed.

While I have shown a commercial embodiment and modified forms of my novel device, it will be understood that the same is capable of further modification without departure from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the claim.

What I claim is:

A device for removing extraneous matter from well shafts comprising an elongated tubular element, a collar removably secured to the lower end of the tubular element, a plurality of fingers in the form of elongated fiat strips having their upper ends secured to said collar in uniform circumzferentially spaced relation, said strips initially 'comprising major lower portions parallel with the axis of said collar and minor upper portions converging from the upper ends of said major portions to the periphery of said collar, said strips in the regions of said converging portions being ductile to permit adjustment thereof radial of said axis and the strips being resilient in their lower major portions, the lower ends of said strips having thickened wedge shaped tips edgewise y thereof, said tips having downwardly diverging outer walls, the inner walls of the tips converging upwardly toward said axis and terminating in generally horizontal hook-like shelves, said tips sidewise thereof tapering downwardly to terminal points, and resilient barbs disposed within the lower end portions of the strips and converging upwardly and having their lower ends removably secured to said inner walls of said tips.

OLE JACOBSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 987,242 Kohler Mar. 21, 1911 1,000,817 Kemper Aug. 15, 1911 1,171,315 Bryant Feb. 8, 1916 1,298,702 Harshaw Apr. 1, 1919 1,315,581 Scott Sept. 9, 1919 1,462,099 Brown July 17, 1923 1,470,114 Erwin Oct. 9, 1923 1,498,172 Keever June 17, 1924 1,509,001 Smith Sept. 16, 1924 1,824,191 Black et al Sept. 22, 1931 

